Sexual exploitation is a real problem in our country, and countless people you know care about it--whether they are students worried about college responses to rape, citizens who are distressed by the way the judicial system responds to perpetrators, or people moved by stories of survivors of sex trafficking--you don’t have to look farther than your social circles to find allies who care, and who would be excited to support the work that CAASE is doing every day.
CAASE is the Chicago Alliance Against Exploitation; They envision a community free from all forms of sexual exploitation, including sexual assault and the commercial sex trade. With our team of 10 passionate and dedicated members, we were able to raise over $850 dollars to support their cause! Thank you to everyone who donated and let's all continue to bring an end to sexual exploitation. You can visit CAASE here: http://caase.org/
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We have had the incredible oppurtunity to support the Atijeevan Acid Attack Foundation based in India in their endeavors to bring an end to acid attacks. Acid attacks “are the deliberate use of acid to attack another human being. The victims of acid violence are overwhelmingly women and children, and attackers often target the head and face in order to maim, disfigure and blind. Acid has a devastating effect on the human body, often permanently blinding the victim and denying them the use of their hands. As a consequence, many everyday tasks such as working and even mothering are rendered extremely difficult if not impossible” (Acid survivors trust international). Acid attacks damage all aspects of life- socially, economically, physically, and emotionally.
We have created an all inclusive brochure that teaches people everything about acid attacks women all around the world are forced to endure and learn how they can be apart of the change to bring an end to them. The full info is on our projects page. Visit the Atijeevan Foundation here: http://www.atijeevanfoundation.org/ If you'd like a brochure made for your cause, please contact us This past 2 weeks we have collected over 500 clothing items (primarily women's clothing) that will be donated to various homeless shelters in Los Angeles! We have partnered with Humanitarian Network of Valencia High School to collect items including:
men and women's work attire jackets shoes children's clothing women's formal dresses and more! We will be updating our FTFB Projects tab soon with a full section dedicated to this project! Stay tuned. The definition of a hate crime is “a crime motivated by racial, sexual, or other prejudice, typically one involving violence.” My name is Stephen, and I am a senior in high school. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school when I discovered hate crimes against women is still a global problem in 2016. I believe that gender discrimination needs an immediate solution and an increase in awareness.
1 in 3 women are victims of rape, abuse, or discrimination, however the individuals behind the crimes are rarely punished to the fullest extent in the eyes of the law. Recently, a Stanford student was founded guilty to three felony counts of sexual assault but only faced six months of prison. At this point, it is safe to say that it is a fact that women are discriminated against in today’s American society. I currently attend a high school in Santa Clarita, a safe, isolated town North of Los Angeles. One of the most common problems in American Society is to create a false belief that “everything is okay” or “crimes against humanity does not exist in our city/town/state.” Many people refer to Santa Clarita as a “boring, safe town” where no crime exists. While just recently, I attended a seminar hosted by a former sex slave who opened my eyes about the sex trafficking business that happened around me, in my town. As a result, I realized no town is safe from ANY type of crime and now realize it’s my job as the future of America to spread awareness about crimes against humanity. While the news is focused on professional athletes not standing for the pledge, I am trying to make a change and bring awareness to inhumane crimes that put thousands of women into danger. These types of news events puts no one in actual harm and as a unified country, we need to change the perspective of how we view America. The news just focuses on what the people want to hear, not the crimes that cause the destruction of our civilization. This is caused to make people feel better and a false sense of “security or reality” or in some cases, ignorance. As a result, many people believe “standing for the pledge” jeopardises American freedom or rights, but in reality when you discover how hate crimes are problems that actually strip innocent people of their rights, you no longer believe “not standing for the pledge” deprives anyone of their inalienable rights. “One hate crime is committed approximately every hour of everyday in this country” No excuses can justify despicable crimes of acid attacks, forced marriage, and even racial profiling. The acts of destruction are just as terrible as people who have a voice to speak out against the problem, unlike the victims of the attacks. The scariest part is the fact that some people who commit hate crimes truly believe it was the right thing to do. America needs to educate themselves on current events that are “too graphic” to talk about. The false sense of security needs to come to an end or else we will slowly diminish our society as a whole. The following 10 documentaries are some of the most sad and disturbing films made- but completely necessary. Originally, this was going to only be a list of films regarding crimes against women, but we realized that those are all available on our resources page. This blog is different from our others because it focuses on worldwide issues and not just those regarding women. Warning: The following films are all extremely graphic in nature. Due to this, we have only included the trailers rather than the entire films. We have also listed the rating as well as how graphic the documentary is. 1) Bulgaria's Abandoned Children (R), very graphic *full filmThis devastating documentary examines the horrific conditions of mental institution for disabled children in Bulgaria. The sexual abuse, graphic images of neglect, and hopelessness of the whole facility will leave you bawling. 2) Audrie & Daisy (TV MA)In two towns on different sides of America, two teenage girls pass out while intoxicated at high school parties and, while unconscious, both are sexually assaulted by boys they call friends. In the aftermath, the girls each endure online harassment, both attempt suicide, and tragically, one dies. The film explores this new public square of shame from the perspective of the teenagers and their families -- including the boys involved in the assaults and the girls willing to speak out publicly. An emotional, anger-provoking film told with clarity and guts. 3) India's Daughter (R), graphicFilmmaker Leslee Udwin examines the society and values of India after a 23-year-old medical student is brutally gang raped and murdered on a bus. The scene where the film crew is interviewing the rapists who justify their actions will shock and enrage viewers. 4) Earthlings (R), extremely graphicPerhaps the most graphic and violent documentary made; this shocking film examines the horrific treatment of animals today- from the leather industry to meat products to medical experiments. You will definitely be bawling during this one- that is if you make it through more than 30 minutes of it. 5) Restrepo (R), graphicPhotographer Tim Hetherington and journalist Sebastian Junger allow the realities of war to speak for themselves in this unnarrated documentary about a U.S. platoon in Afghanistan. The men of Second Platoon, Battle Company, 173rd Airborne Brigade teeter from naivete to weariness as months of alternating boredom and fighting take their toll. The loss of medic Juan "Doc" Restrepo leads the platoon to name an outpost in the remote Korengal Valley after him. Heartbreaking and unflinching. 6) Dear Zachary: A Letter To His Son About His Father (R)In 2001, 28-year-old Dr. Andrew Bagby is found dead in a park in Pennsylvania. He had been shot by his ex-girlfriend, who then fled to Canada, where she was able to walk free on bail, pregnant with Andrew's child. Andrew's enraged parents campaign to gain custody of the child and convict their son's killer. Filmmaker Kurt Kuenne pairs this story with home movies and interviews with those who knew Andrew, hoping to give his best friend's son an opportunity to discover who his dad was. No words. This film will f*** you up. 7) The Act of Killing (R), very graphicFilmmakers expose the horrifying mass executions of accused communists in Indonesia and those who are celebrated in their country for perpetrating the crime. You won't forget this one. 8) Children Underground (R), very graphicThere are 20,000 children living on the streets in Romania, and this documentary follows five of them. They live in a Bucharest subway station, panhandling and stealing to get something to eat — or worse, to get a can of paint they can huff to get high and temporarily escape their miserable conditions. 9) The Bridge (R)The majestic Golden Gate Bridge is one of San Francisco's most popular tourist destinations. Unfortunately, it also is a beacon to people, struggling with depression, addiction or mental illness, who leap to their deaths into the waters of the bay. Filmmaker Eric Steel documents those suicides and interviews some of the victims' grieving survivors. Heartbreaking and powerful. 10) Deliver Us From Evil (R), mildly graphicFilmmaker Amy Berg documents the case of convicted pedophile Oliver Grady who, as a priest in northern California, molested the children of his parishioners, apparently with the knowledge of his superiors in the diocese. Berg tracks down O'Grady in Ireland, where he lives free under church protection, and allows him to give his own account of his crimes. The interview with O'Grady admitting to his crimes is chilling. Sorry there wasn't a "WARNING THE FOLLOWING IMAGES ARE GRAPHIC" message before the above pictures- frankly I don't care. The least you as a viewer can do is inform yourself and spread the message. I'm tired of people ignoring an urgent problem- whether it comes to women's rights, the earth, animal welfare, the refugee crisis, and more- because they don't want to confront the truth because it is too "graphic". Too often people choose to stay ignorant to an issue out of fear of realization. No more- I present graphic material not to scare or scar people, but rather to empower them to do something about it. Acid attacks are sinister forms of assaults that involve throwing acid on primarily women in Middle Eastern countries due to matters such as refusal of marriage or insufficient pay of dowry. The most vulnerable fall victim to these horrific and life altering events, mainly young girls under the age of 20. Acid attacks are prevalent in many countries, including India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Uganda and Cambodia to name a few. On average, the BBC claims that 1500 major attacks are reported worldwide every year- and there are far far more that go unreported. Acid attacks leave victims burned, maimed and disfigured. The depth of their disfigurement depends on the type of acid and how much was used on the victim. Sulfuric acid and mixtures of household chemical items are often used. Acid is known for its highly corrosive nature, making it extremely dangerous when it comes into contact with human skin and results in the skin tissue to dissolve and exposed bone to jun out and melt the surrounding flesh. Acid attacks lead to physical, emotional, and social permanent damage and even death. Many are so traumatized by the extent of their wounds that they may suffer extreme physcoligical turmoil. This further damages the victims’ self-esteem, self-confidence and seriously undermines their professional and personal future. Women find it difficult to find jobs, remarry, or even keep children which may be taken away and sent to more "adequate" parents. Take one acid attack victim who begged the government for an assisted suicide, or "mercy killing", after years of physical and emotional hell she suffered from her husband throwing acid on her entire body. And justice is almost never served. Many attacks occur in rural villages that shield these incidents from the public eye. Often its the women who are beaten and punished after the attack due to her family attempting to protect their "honor". In the film Saving Face, which follows a facial reconstruction surgeon who travels to Pakistan to treat victims of acid attacks, one of the victims of the acid attacks is forced to go back and live with the same man who threw acid on her for almost 5 months!! It's time for all governments to crack down on perpetrators, for such a cruel crime blurs the lines that define humanity.
Today, a Muslim woman was set on fire randomly on the streets of 5th avenue in New York City. This pales in comparison to what goes on in the other world and clearly has no big impact on a majority of the world. It’s a sad fact but it is a true one. Of course it would be wrong to say that NO ONE cares about this topic but it really alters the view of certain people. At this point it's sad to say that some may even be desensitized to the rash and irrational acts of hate portrayed around the world. I currently attend NYU and have been dropped freshly into the rich city of New York. In terms of similarities, my home city of Santa Clarita falls short on every aspect. Views, food, people, culture everything is different and introduced in different ways to. Up to a certain point, I did not care for the news and only focused on the bubble that my city had to offer. This bubble offered a safe haven for everyone, and allowed people to gain a false sense of security. “Nothing’s going on in the world, everything is fine.” But really, while we all slaved away in a privileged little town, numerous people of my age and even younger or older have been fighting for what they feel is right. It’s almost hypocritical for me to stand here and write this. But this is not the only thing I am doing.
I am trying to be an active citizen to this global community and spread awareness and try to actually make a change. While some people may be sitting at home heavily thinking about what channel they should watch and what they should post on Twitter, others are deciding if it’s safe to leave the house and maybe stay awake for the night. Any problem you have isn’t automatically undermined by another serious one, but just keep in mind, some people are out there fighting for their lives. It’s time people wake up and realize that this world has been running off of too many blind leaders. Each form of hate crime is fueled by bigot politicians or irrational hate fabricated by a false sense of comfort. The people who carry out these crimes, of murder, arsony, or just humiliation do it all to make themselves feel better. Because what they do is justified to them and they believe they are actually changing the world for a better place. Yeah, they have the right idea of acting out and carrying out their beliefs but of course in the complete wrong way. With all this chaos going on in the world, people just want to be heard, and some will take it to extreme measures in order for this to happen. This could be good or bad, but in reality there has to be a medium to all of it. Extreme passion towards a certain idea leads to hate and eventually radicalism that fails to accept any other medium towards their cause. While people who only half-ass their way through something by donating a dollar feel comforted that they actually made a change. I’m not bashing the form of donation, and it is true that some people really cannot help make a change because of their circumstances. But to those who have a voice still and sit there on social media and just rant days on end about a topic, how about you get up and make a change. New York has been suffering heavily from a string of hate crimes lately and it can also be because of the recent passing of 9/11’s memorial. The Twin Towers going down was definitely considered one of the worst tragedies America had suffered and it has also brought along a lot of hate. Just recently, a woman was charged for trying to rip off a Hijab from a person while physically and verbally assaulting them. Again, these type of actions are serious and posses malpractice in nature, but still are not as big as the events going on in Syria and other countries fighting this war on terrorism in their homes. But small actions lead to bigger actions and eventually a group of people will form another cult or group and carry out their practices and idea. If you now try to fight the Trump in certain areas, you become a pariah and instantly regarded as a silly person with a narrow mind. These types of actions and idea keep fueling the hate that America does not need. After really walking around the city and exploring the news daily and keeping updated, you run into many different people and realize that freedom of speech is a thing. As I digress, it can be seen in the sports scene. People like Colin Kaepernick and Brandon Marshall, refuse to stand during the anthem. Actions like these contribute more to separate groups and separate ideas. More problems and debates arise and people fail to see the bigger picture. These people do not carry out their actions in hopes of showing people they dislike America. NO, these people are doing this because they sense it is necessary to happen. Back in the 1968 Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos caused uproar in the crowd when they raised their fists up. People found this disrespectful and many others were appalled by such actions causing a split on views. During the 1936 Olympics, runner Jesse Owens stunned the audience when he went to actually participate during the occupation of Nazi Germany, while winning 4 gold medals. This again, caused a division in views and many people criticized his race when he single handedly was representing America as a whole. And finally, the boxer Muhammad Ali refused to fight in the Vietnam war after he was drafted because he felt his race was treated in such a poor manner, that they did not represent America in that way. Such actions have been present all around and not just in sports, but it's chilling to see that history has repeated itself many times. It’s no longer the problem whether their actions were wrong or not, no it's the bigger picture. People fail to see the bigger picture that such actions promote. People are contesting the unfair treatment they sense is happening in their community. When certain actions like this repeat itself in history, we need to stand back and ask ourselves why they come up again. The problem has not been fixed yet. Excuses and temporary fixes cloud the actual problem eventually leading to its reemergence in the future. Ideas are so powerful now, that everyone has been using a twisted source of justice as their excuse to back up any sort of action. This can’t be done anymore. People need to realize that it's time to think actually and fix a problem. But it can’t be done through violence and constant protest. Whatever idea you fight for is torn down instantly by violence because this itself presents another problem. People are getting hurt because of an increased sense of comfort is needed. A lot of these hate crimes and protests can be done without the people running around and harming each other. Everything is so scattered now. WE must sit as a global community and tackle issues in unified actions. Starting a mass is key now, and people need to really know what is right for this country. Amidst all this chaos, people only want to be heard and will go through extraordinary measures in order for their voice to be heard. This needs to be stopped. Sit down and look around, ask yourself how many pieces of news articles you can read that actually involved some positive change in the world. Fragmented pieces of actions clash in ideas and only tear down what was once about to be built. Because as far as I know, I don’t want to be living in a world where women are still discriminated. I don’t want to live in a world where law enforcement is seen as a threat. I don’t want to live in a world where people have to fight and try to prove their righteousness in order to achieve peace. Clearly, the world will never be fully at peace, but we are from even trying it out. Currently time has been pedaling back and we seem to be digressing further and further back in time disregarding any sort of humane evolution we have worked centuries for. There are over 1.3 million people in the US army. Those 1.3 million men and women are some of the most skilled soldiers at deterring hostile forces to date. The United States military force is one of the most dominant defense forces in the world. However, within its own ranks, the United States army is fighting its own battle- one that it is losing every day. "If you are a women in the US army, you are more likely to be raped than killed by enemy fire". 20,300 men and women were sexually assaulted in only 2014- and the number is estimated to be far greater due to rapes and assaults that go unreported. 60% of women who do report sexual assaults are retaliated against by military personal who threaten jeopardy of job position or accuse these women of lying or exaggerating their claims. Some are stripped of their ranks or discharged if they choose to speak out. So why does this problem occur in the very system that should be the most honorable? One reason sexual assault festers in the military is its leadership structure, according to former service men and women who have been assaulted in the military and advocates who work with them. In the military, sexual assaults are handled within the chain of command. That means that a victim’s commanding officer has the ability to intervene at any point: to stop an investigation, reduce a sentence or even set aside a conviction. There is also a lack of awareness brought to this issue- according to accusations against the Pentagon and military who want to depict the military as only a righteous system with no faults. If you serve in the U.S. military and you rape or sexually assault a fellow service member, chances are you won't be punished. In fact, you have an estimated 86.5% chance of keeping your crime a secret and a 92% chance of avoiding a court-martial. And by (and if) the time justice is served it's often too late to press adequate charges- and victims are often too burdened with PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, and more to stand a chance at pushing their case. So, America, the next time you thank our fore fathers or applaud our soldiers for keeping this beautiful nation safe, add another reason as to why you should be grateful for freedom...because it comes at a damn heavy price. A 18 year old Vietnamese American girl is at college party when an attractive young man buys her drink. She is already far from sober and well immersed in the euphoric atmosphere of the fraternity party, so she unknowingly sips on the drug laced alcohol while listening to the charming man compliment her. He begins to grow fuzzy in her eyes, and all the raging noise at the party diminishes into nothing. She wakes up dazed, with a splitting headache and pain in her side, barely being able to make out her surroundings; she is in a small concrete room with a barred door surrounded by whimpering girls- much younger than her, some younger than 10 years old- with one cracked open, rusted window in the corner. All the other girls are of Asian descent and are wearing nothing but thin, silk slips adorned with Japanese styled flowers. She again feels the stinging in her side and looks down her slip to find a number branded on her hi; She has no name anymore. She sees through the barred door the charming man talking to another more intimidating women wearing an Ao Dai; the women speaks in Vietnamese and hands the man a stack of cash, and he walks away, never glancing back to look at the huddle of caged prisoners behind the barred door. The other side of the barred door has Vietnamese decor that is familiar to her, as well as a long menu of prices next to words she can't make out through her still blurred vision. She slowly pieces the bits of her scenario together and comes to a horrific realization- human trafficking. She has heard stories about girls kidnapped and trafficked as sex slaves to foreign countries. She infers she must be in an Asian country, due to the ethnicity of all the other girls and the intimidating women as well as the decorations on the other side of the barred door. She stands up and walks toward the window; she expects to smell Bánh Cuốn or Goi Khon; She expects to see crowded fish markets bustling with fisherman; She expects to see rickshaws and stalls filled with young girls selling homemade pottery and other goods. Instead, she sees a Starbucks a a few blocks down; She smells the familiar mix of gasoline and industrial factories spewing out smog; She sees an American flag resting on top of one of many towering buildings. This isn't in a hidden town in a developing country, this is in America. This is an all too familiar situation; human trafficking in the United States. Take the story of Eden- a women kidnapped and sold to men for sex slavery in Utah ; Or Shandra Wowuruntu, who was trafficked for 10 years in Chicago. Many don't even realize where it could be happening: in a hotel, a small house, or even a 'business' store in a strip mall. It’s an issue with which law-enforcement agencies in the U.S. continually struggle because of how appealing it can be to pimps or drug dealers. Why? Contraband can only be sold once, humans on the other hand can be sold hundreds and hundreds of times, providing a greater profit. Many women and girls are leered in by fake job proposals, charming men who promise them of a better life, kidnapped, or come from a poor background and are forced to turn to prostitution as a source of money- which can lead to sex slavery. Traffickers may also trick sex slaves into thinking that they are offenders, threatening to call the police and report them for prostitution if they don't comply with demands. This makes sex trafficking particularly challenging because victims might be fearful of going to law enforcement and being charged with a crime. And the ending isn't pretty for many sex slaves; murder, death, or suicide is all too common in the world of human trafficking. This isn't a foreign problem; this can be happening to your next door neighbor. Do your part and learn the signs on how to identify trafficked victims. Visit: http://aplus.com/a/ways-to-recognize-sex-trafficking-victim for more |
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